Re: Pumping Too Much?

I know it is easy to say don't give up but you have come so far!! Since I made the switch from EP to now EBF it took me about a couple of days before I could get my LO used to my breast again. He would be so fussy and would cry and scream when he was at my breast. i was in tears and my husband cheered me on to not give up. He now seems so happy to be BFing and I am so glad that I kept the patience with him. Everyone's situation is different and if EPing is going to be your avenue then don't let anyone tell you not to. You know yourself and your LO better than anyone else!! The important thing is that your LO drinks YOUR milk, whether it be from your breast or from expressed milk in a bottle. I would say just don't give up just yet...give it another couple of days....try pumping first thing in the morning and right before you go to bed to get yourself comfortable and ready for the night time feedings. I hope this helps...keep us posted!!

Happy Mama of 4 beautiful boys ages 17, 13, 10, 3 and just welcomed the newest member of the family on 3/22/2016 OUR FIRST GIRL!! :
Was not able to BF first 3 boys but now successfully and thriving

Re: Pumping Too Much?

At this point, I feel like I just need to switch to exclusively pumping. I've been struggling with the idea for a few weeks and with the way things went last night and this morning, I really just don't think I can do this anymore.
I am extremely disappointed in myself, but I think that for my sanity I need to make the switch.

My question now is how do I switch to pumping and how often/long should I pump for keeping in mind that I have an oversupply?

I have a question-in your op you just asked if you were pumping too much. Have all these issues with nursing started just since you began trying to reduce pumping and block feeding? Or was breastfeeding going off the rails already?

I can certainly assure you your milk has not decreased to the point your baby cannot 'get any' when she nurses. Even if you have just pumped. There are many explanations for the difficult few days you have had, but low production is not it.
You said there was a breastfeeding support group near you that was postponed. I suggest, call whoever runs that and ask if you can get together or just talk on the phone.

If you are at the point you want to give up nursing, I also suggest very strongly that you first consider seeing a board certified lactation consultant whether your insurance pays or not. There are many costs to not nursing, financial and otherwise. Did you know nursing at the breast promotes normal development of the oral cavity? That means less dental and orthodontics possibly-quite a savings! A private session with an IBCLC will (typically in the US) run you somewhere between $100 and $200, maybe a bit more in some areas. Considering how long these appointments are (1 to 2 hours) and the benefits, it's the best bargain going in health care. If you do decide to do that, I always suggest moms call a few consultants to get a feel for them first. Ask about cost, availability, experience, etc. You want someone you feel comfortable with and confident in. Here is a description of what happens in a private appointment with an IBCLC. http://cwgenna.com/lconsult.html

There is no reason I can see for you to switch to eping, and robbing both you and your baby of the many, many benefits of nursing at the breast. At least not yet. (As far as we know without a recent weight check) baby is doing just fine nursing! Typically the only reason ep is if baby cannot nurse at the breast. I have talked to many many moms who went down the eping road or in some other way weaned from the breast in the early weeks, who later regret this terribly once they are 'out of the weeds' of the newborn period.

Breastfeeding does not make anyone lose thier sanity. Exhaustion does. Can you get help from your family and friends with your older children so you can take care of yourself and your newborn?

Re: Pumping Too Much?

I just called and left a message with the receptionist to schedule an appointment with a lactation consultant.

Breastfeeding seemed to be going better over the past couple of days -- I have been struggling with a lot of the things that seem to be caused by the oversupply, but I felt like things were getting better.
Then I really messed things up with trying to stop pumping cold turkey yesterday. Last night was awful, Alaina and I were up most of the night.

So, at this point -- in order to work on decreasing my supply and avoid engorgement, should I just space my pumping out more and pump for less time?

Alaina has nursed twice today really well. We struggled early this morning with nursing -- she wasn't latching on correctly and both she and I were getting frustrated.
I also gave her two bottles today - she took about 1 oz each time.

While I am waiting to hear back about an appointment with the IBCLC, I will continue to work hard to nurse her.

Alaina is napping now, so I am going to nap as well because I certainly need it.

Re: Pumping Too Much?

Originally Posted by @llli*gratefulmommaof2

So, at this point -- in order to work on decreasing my supply and avoid engorgement, should I just space my pumping out more and pump for less time?

This, exactly. A slow break-up with your pump, not a cold turkey one. Hand expressing might be preferable to pumping, since it's supposed to be less stimulating to supply. Maybe try it and see if it removes enough milk to make you comfortable?

Also, I know that this has been a fairly traumatic 24-48 hours for you, but I really want you to feel like you made progress towards your goal. All that engorgement you put up with surely gave your body a big hint that it's time to throttle back on production.

Can you tell us more about what's going on with your LO's latch? When you say that she's not latching on correctly, what exactly does that mean? Is she hurting you, or does the latch simply look wrong?

Re: Pumping Too Much?

Last evening, when she was trying to latch onto the left side, it was painful. I would take her off and my nipple looked flattened. Every time I took her off to try again, she wouldn't open her mouth wide enough to take in more areola. Then, this morning, on the right side, it wasn't painful - she was just taking in the nipple and then popping off frequently. Whenever I would try to correct it, she came right off -- there was no suction.

Luckily, my mom took my older daughter for the night last night and I called her crying several times today, so she hasn't brought her home yet -- so I have had the time I need to spend with Alaina and work on this.

Re: Pumping Too Much?

Just wanted to add that I heard back from the local IBCLC and they advised me to start with a general LC (at the local hospital) and if I need a medical intervention, they will refer me to the IBCLC.

So, my thoughts at this point are that I will see how the next couple of days go and if I am still struggling with the oversupply or if I have any latch concerns, I will contact them to set up an appointment. I'm still planning on going to the Breastfeeding Support Group next Tuesday as well.

I have only pumped twice today (both earlier this morning) and my breasts feel okay. I last pumped at 11AM. I got some rest when Alaina napped last and I am feeling more hopeful about everything.
I agree that the engorgement last night seems to have helped. But, I am a little worried about what tonight will bring. I will do my best to roll with the punches and deal with issues as they come up.

I want to thank all of you (again) -- I was certainly on the brink of giving up and EPing and your encouragement and reminders that BF is best have really helped.

Re: Pumping Too Much?

Let us know how it goes! And please remember that managing oversupply is an art, not a science. It's okay to sometimes express or pump too much, and sometimes not enough, and to sometimes have a baby who is fussy- those things are just part of the package.

Re: Pumping Too Much?

GOOOD NIGHT!!! Bow down to you if you can produce 10 oz in a session! I would say that is more then enough! I only get a MAX 6 oz and I thought I was doing something! lol I cant say that your over doing it bc I have 2 GF that didn't over pump and would produce a lot like you, even when they cut down it was still a lot. Maybe its possible that some woman just automatically produce a lot IDK. If its not bothering you I wouldn't worry about it. Do you know anyone who would be comfortable using it or maybe look into donating it to a bank???

Re: Pumping Too Much?

Gratefulmommaof2 I am a bit upset your hcp is being so weird about you seeing an IBCLC. IBCLCs are not doctors so I fail to see how you need to have a ‘medical intervention’ before seeing one! You are having breastfeeding problems which means you need to see a qualified lactation consultant. Oh well, maybe the non IBCLC LC you see will be great and know her stuff, many do, of course. Ask her about 'full drainage and block feeding' technique for overproduction. It may not be the right course of action in your case but it's something to perhaps consider at least.

Anyway, it sounds like you got a bit of rest which is great. BTW being engorged can certainly make latch and milk extraction much more difficult for baby, which may in part be what is going on with the nursing right now. The lc should watch a nursing session and help you with any latch issues.

I am really sorry that the 'cure' seems to have caused more issues than the problem, this is really unfortunate! But that is also fairly common at first, especially when the hyperlactation is severe and interventions are perhaps done 'too' quickly. It takes some trial and error to figure out the best way for each mom to approach dealing with this issue (same with many breastfeeding issues.) It is a good reminder to all of us that the mom's own body will usually give her much of the information she needs on how to proceed.

Hi ginny624, thanks for pointing out that there is a possible good side to making too much milk. Mothers struggling with low production probably wonder what the fuss is about! I just want to point out that besides other possible issues, due to her overproduction, the OP was being forced to frequently pump, taking her time, focus and energy away from herself and her family, right in the middle of the difficult newborn period, just to keep up with the demands of her overproduction aka hyperlactation.

It is certainly true that overproduction can 'just happen.' but pumping unnecessarily certainly makes it worse, which is what we suspect happened in op's case.

Of course its severity varies tremendously from mom to mom. But in general, hyperlactation can cause very serious breastfeeding issues. When a mom is hyperlactating she may be overly tired because it takes extra energy to make too much milk. Hyperlactating moms are much more prone to engorgement, plugs and mastitis. Their babies are more prone to intestinal discomfort and fussiness and unhappiness with nursing even to the point of breast refusal.

I don;t know how old your baby is, but if you produce 6 ounces per pumping session when away from baby that is certainly on the high side of normal. If you can pump an 'extra' 6 ounces while nursing around the clock as well, then that is very unusual!